Battle of Virbalis

The Battle of Virbalis occurred on 22 June 1941 during Operation Barbarossa. The battle occurred within the context of the greater Battle of Kaunas, a German offensive to capture the city of Kaunas in the Lithuanian SSR. The 49,703-strong German II Armeekorps, commanded by Walter von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt, advanced east from Ebenrode, East Prussia towards Kaunas, only to find that elements of the Soviet 11th Army under Vasily Morozov were holding the town of Virbalis. In one of the initial ground battles of the campaign, the Germans caught the Soviets by surprise and inflicted heavy losses on the 11th Army. Of the 5,242 Soviet troops engaged in the defense of Virbalis, 3,184 were killed, wounded, or captured, and their 10th AT Artillery Brigade was routed. With Virbalis secure, the Germans were free to advance on Kaunas from the south, leading to the city's inevitable fall.